The Bottom Line on What Facebook Partner Categories Mean for the Little Guys
May 4, 2013 - Posted by Stephanie Graves
When Facebook launched its new ad-targeting solution Facebook Partner Categories a few weeks ago, we’re pretty sure we heard a loud, collective, “Wooooohoooo” from every small business owner using Facebook ads to market their business. And they have every right to be happy beyond measure because Partner Categories, for small fries, are the great equalizer. In case you missed the announcement, Facebook Partner Categories allow brands on the social network to get ads in front of targeted users based on their activity across the Web, through desktop and/or mobile, plus their offline purchases and tendencies. Previously, targeting was based on users’ Facebook activity. Moreover, all of this is powered by data provided by market research heavyweights Datalogix, Epsilon, Acxiom and Blue Kai. Partner Categories are a gold mine for advertisers because it provides significantly more detail about where to place ads and the users they should target. Advertisers who target… read more
Creating “Share-alicious” Content to Build Your Online Community
April 30, 2013 - Posted by Stephanie Graves
Ever wonder why some organizations seem to have no problem at all building and engaging their online communities when your company spends a great deal of time working to get more fans, to no avail? Does it seem like no matter what you post, tumbleweeds blow across your page. Very few, if any “likes” or comments are happening, with the exception of the one super fan you can always count on (read: your mom) who “likes” everything you post (because she loves you). You’re not alone. Many companies struggle to find the sweet spot in content creation. But if you listen closely, your audience is telling you what they want to hear. Deliver it, and you’ll see your online community start to take shape. First understand what moves your audience If you don’t have a deep understanding of who your audience is then you’ll have a difficult time figuring out… read more
Four Reasons To Market Your Business With Webinars
November 15, 2012 - Posted by Rilee Chastain
The benefits of using webinars as part of your marketing strategy. For many businesses who offer their clients specific products and services, their average web user is typically looking to be educated by their website. Whether they are specifically looking to learn more about what your company can do for them, how your services differ from your competitors or simply whether or not they would like to work with you one day, most visitors looking at your business site are in research mode and are hoping to learn something more about your company. One of the best ways to attract these potential customers to your site and keep them coming back for more is to continuously feature educational offers on your website that will not only give users the information that they are looking for, but also establishes your company as an expert in that particular topic or field of… read more
Mobile-Friendly Sites Translate To A More Successful User Experience
October 16, 2012 - Posted by Rilee Chastain
A mobile-friendly site may be what you need to turn visitors into customers. In a world where people are constantly on the go and the average consumer is splitting their attention between information found online and in person, most people have come to expect to find the resources that they want on a variety of different platforms and available to them whenever they want it. This could be the simple task of Googling information on their laptop, all the way to the very modern act of purchasing a brand new laptop right from their mobile device. However, just because mobile-sites are becoming more and more readily available for the average consumer, does this mean that mobile users are actively seeking out these sites to use on a day-to-day basis? For many researchers and marketers who have been exploring the importance of mobile-friendly sites for consumers within the last few years,… read more
The Benefits of Outsourcing Your Business Marketing Efforts
September 19, 2012 - Posted by Rilee Chastain
What are the advantages of using outside marketing for your business? When it comes to the growth and success of your company, there is perhaps no department that is more influential or integral than marketing. While sales, purchasing or production departments each play a large role in the overall grand scheme of company growth, each of them could not survive or flourish without the constant adjustments and refinements that are being made through marketing. Think about it―when it comes down to your company’s reputation, sales goals or overall image, marketing is what truly drives every department’s goals together as one cohesive loop. However, despite how important marketing is in the long-term, there is still a huge lack of understanding about just how it all works together and how important it is to the success of your business. In fact, because of the limited knowledge and resources that often surround each… read more
Tips For Using Facebook As A Successful Marketing Tool
September 12, 2012 - Posted by Rilee Chastain
Essential marketing tips that will ensure a successful Facebook campaign. It is no major secret that many businesses are now taking to Facebook to market their company and connect with new consumers. After all, there are more than 900 million people on Facebook who are liking, subscribing, posting or sharing information with their friends and family on a regular basis. Given this major statistic, it only makes sense that many businesses are flocking to the site in order to increase their customer base and build a lasting relationship with the ones they already have. However, what many companies do not realize is that simply registering on Facebook is not enough to reach your business objectives. There is an actual science behind the art of social media marketing and there are many different resources and tricks that marketers can utilize in order to become more successful with their online marketing efforts…. read more
5 Reasons to Use Social Media in Your Medical Practice
September 6, 2012 - Posted by Shama
It is no secret that social media is becoming a large part of our everyday lives. Whether you are swapping photos and stories with your friends on Facebook, sharing funny anecdotes about your day through Twitter, or re-connecting with old colleagues via LinkedIn, one thing is for sure―social media has completely changed the way that we interact with people on a day-to-day basis. However, should these many social interactions be limited to only your social life? Business professionals all over the world, from lawyers to small business owners, are now beginning to take a closer look at sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and they are discovering all of the benefits that these social sites can have for the growth and productivity of their business. One group that can truly reap the benefits of social media more than others is healthcare providers. The increase in social media use among… read more
The Do’s and Don’ts of Blogging for Your Business
August 30, 2012 - Posted by Rilee Chastain
How to successfully execute a blog for your business or corporate website. The phenomenon of blogging is nothing new in this era of the internet. For many years, everyone from media companies to public individuals have created their own blogs as a way to connect with their audience and share their opinions on a variety of subjects. However, many corporate companies are just starting to catch on to the growing credibility that these blogs could offer them as a communication channel for connecting with their customers. While you may never have considered writing about your industry or business before, the world of blogging has started to become more and more popular among businesses and corporations. In fact, most businesses that utilize online blogs agree that they achieve a large media effect in a world where news is disseminated and processed very rapidly. Many reports are also showing that blogs… read more
eCommerce Tips: Avoiding Magento’s Duplicate Content Problem
August 15, 2012 - Posted by Rilee Chastain
Utilize the Magento platform without producing duplicate content pages. With the overwhelming growth of digital media and social marketing occurring within the last decade, many large businesses and corporations have slowly began taking to the web more and more in order to complete a good amount of their corporate sales and research online, while also utilizing this beneficial medium as a way to connect with colleagues and other industry professionals digitally. However, it has only been within the past few years that both large and small businesses alike are truly starting to understand just how effectively they can compete online, especially for those who are looking to get their feet wet with online retailing. Whether you are a new company who is looking to start their very own retail business online, or you are a veteran business owner who is just now starting to explore the benefits of a great… read more
6 Apps That Can Help Small Businesses Compete Against the Big(ger) Guys
August 13, 2012 - Posted by Amanda Norris
Guest post by Jim Belosic, CEO of ShortStack One of the most awesome things about being a small business owner today is the number of apps that are available to help make running a business so much easier than it was just a few years ago. It used to be really difficult for many small businesses to compete, especially in the online space. Back in the day, circa 2008 or so, if you wanted a cool website, you’d have to shell out thousands of dollars to hire a designer/programmer. An e-commerce site could cost six figures! Then you’d need a bookkeeper, a point-of-sale provider, an attorney, and the list goes on. Not any more. Today you can build a website for free using WordPress, you can get an LLC set up for a couple hundred bucks with LegalZoom and you can use QuickBooks for bookkeeping. If you have a good… read more